I read Keith Code's book and watched his DVD and came across some strange info and it did not appear to be a misprint. Code says to set your corner speed and not to trail brake. Would that even work? Would you not be leaving the door open for a guys who are trail braking to pass you? Will the bike turn as well without trail braking?
Without trail braking, the bike will turn better. Will the door be left open? Depends. Are you going slower or faster into the corner than the guy trying to pass you? All depends on how you want to enter the corner. Fast in slow out or slow in fast out.
Current thinking is that trail braking "helps" turning the bike in as the front is compressed and thus trail is reduced. Code is behind the times on this particular point. I don't think any current racer doesn't aggressively trail brake. Just saying. Codes approach to trail braking has huge advantages as you grow your basic skills. Once you are actually getting pretty quick, you better be trail braking. iMHO of course.
I could see that for trackday guys/street riders just from a safety/they-don't-know-what-the-hell-they're-doing standpoint but I can't imagine suggesting that you shouldn't trail brake in racing, especially considering that decreasing radius corners aren't that uncommon. Seems like if you didn't trail brake at barber, you might as well take a scooter around the track but maybe that's just me. that said, I'm slow, trail braking or not, so I wouldn't put too much stock in my opinion lol
I know code worked with Rainey back in the day, was he and Schwantz trail braking back then on the 500's?
Question....Does it take any less skill/traction/proper technique to turn a 1:21 at Grattan (or insert your favorite track here...) at a track day as it does during a race?? Answer is no. Trail braking is just as important for going fast at a track day as is is at a race day. Additionally trail braking on the street just might save your life...come into a corner and a bit into it there is a deer, truck tire casing, etc.. in your line.. time to tighten up th line or hit it.. trail braking is going to allow you to scrub speed, reduce trail and tighten your line.
Everyone has their own opinion. I did a day with Doug Polen. He was all for trail braking. Different styles I suppose but I trail brake in most corners. A few corners at Big willow I don't but that's Willow..
Code, in that book, was teaching street survival skills, IMO. Trailbraking is something you most likely will learn by doing unconsciously, or something you can go to a school to learn to do consciously (and spending money). I think it's one of those things covered by 'seat time'. Everyone's experience may differ, this is only my opinion.
that was my bad, I meant to say new/novice trackday riders that would still be learning basic skills, didn't intend that to include everyone at trackays.
I think its more of an advanced street, or more like "canyon rider" technique than an actual survival skill. but I was a semi conservative street rider.... and peeps might have different ideas on trail braking, survival skill, technique........... and shit I think of trail braking as a skill to be used in an aggressive situation (the track, not the street).
As a survival skill, trail braking is not one for street use. As an aid to help you have a lesser chance of killing yourself, or giving you a better chance of killing yourself (however you look at it), for when you're riding above the legal limits on the street, that's where trail braking would come in.
Not sure if this will answer your question but... Schwantz (at least when I attended quite a few years ago) stated that he "got all of his braking done with the bike straight up and down" he probably trail braked to some degree though. He also stated something to the effect that a lot of times it wasn't so much the "late" braking as it was more letting off the brakes earlier and passing people going into the turn. He said it looked like he was braking later but a lot of times was just saying fuck it and letting off and sooner than he normally would to make a pass into the corner. Chris Peris actually changed my style a lot when I went to his school. It finally clicked for me. He taught us to use the brakes, aka trail brake, to get the bike to "steer" in the corner. Example, want to run tighter up to the apex, squeeze a little more one the lever, it compresses the front end a little and gets the bike moving/diving tighter. Now, I don't brake as much before entry but may squeeze more after I turn the bike in going into corners because I know I can trail all the way to apex if I need to. I hope what I'm saying makes sense. At least it does to me, but hey I'm not considered fast by a lot of people.
How would trail braking NOT be considered a street survival skill? If a rider knows there is traction available at a given lean angle then that rider will have one less thing to worry about when the time comes to avoid a situation.
And there's the issue, the rider doesn't know there is traction at a given lean angle. On the street you don't have corner workers to hold up nice flags to warn you of water, oil, debris, etc. Ever come around a corner to find yourself riding straight into a blanket of broken glass, sand, or oil? Last thing you want to do is be trail braking. Stand it up and get on the brakes safely. Fuck up on the street and you'll find yourself possibly sliding into a car, tree, curb, bench, etc. Run-offs, grass, dirt, and gravel traps would be nice, but the street isn't a race track.
That's what I thought. It's been awhile since reading it. I used to ride by getting all of my braking done early (while up and down) and letting the suspension settle before cornering. I never got faster really. I was fast enough to run advanced, level 3 or c or whatever track day orgs call it. But never felt like I was progressing anymore. I started changing my riding style a little at a time and adopted trail braking and can definitely tell you I have gotten faster. Honestly, I think it's comfort level for the level you can ride which hopefully progresses with more and more seat time. It's all about doing when it comes to this sport. That and learning, spending your money on schools is a good idea to me. Especially, when I feel like I have plateaued.
